Having the right head coach in place is key for an NFL team’s future success. The Jacksonville Jaguars know this firsthand, having gone through the Urban Meyer debacle in 2021. However, there’s only so much a head coach can do and the front office must get him good players.
Although the Jags haven’t had a player represent them in the Pro Bowl since 2019, they do have some difference-makers on the roster and they must build around these five if they want to lay the foundation for future success.
No. 1 Jaguars player to build around – Tyson Campbell, CB.
Shaquill Griffin is the leader of the Jaguars secondary but he isn’t the only talented corner in Jacksonville. Sophomore Tyson Campbell went through some rough stretches as a rookie but steadily got better as the season progressed.
The former Georgia Bulldog started off on the wrong foot, allowing five passes on five targets for 80 yards against the Houston Texans in Week 1. He didn’t fare much better in the next three games but it’s important to point out that he was dealing with a foot injury at that time and eventually had to sit out two games.
Once Campbell returned, he showed meaningful improvement and went on to allow just a 60 percent completion rate from Week 9 to 18. Also, he finished the year with 10 passes defensed and two interceptions. The Jaguars signed Darious Williams in free agency. The former Los Angeles Ram will get plenty of time right off the bat but it shouldn’t be at the expense of Campbell.
The Jags have a talented cornerback trio and while Campbell is the youngest of the bunch, he might be the one with the highest ceiling.
No. 2 Jaguars player to build around – Cam Robinson, LT
The Jaguars had options at left tackle this offseason. They could have taken Alabama’s Evan Neal or North Carolina’s Ikem Ekwonu with the first overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Another possibility was to pursue Terron Armstead in free agency. Instead, they chose to reward one of their own players and gave Cam Robinson a three-year contract worth $54 million.
Right after getting the deal done, Robinson said that he knew from the very beginning he wanted to remain in Jacksonville and based on the amount he was given, the feeling was mutual. Had you told someone back in 2020 that the Jags were going to sign Robinson to a long-term deal, you might have gotten some weird looks. After all, the 2017 second-round pick hadn’t been particularly consistent early in his NFL career but he might have finally turned the corner last season.
Before 2021, Robinson had given up 40 or more total pressure whenever he started 14 games or more. However, he allowed a manageable 31 and just one sack on 856 pass-blocking snaps last year. Furthermore, his 78.8 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade was the best one he’s posted in the pros.
Robinson might never reach an All-Pro level of play but he showed in 2021 that he can keep Trevor Lawrence protected. He should pick up where he left off last season and continue improving in 2022. If he does, the Jaguars’ brass won’t have to worry about the left tackle position for a while.
No. 3 Jaguars player to build around – Marvin Jones, WR.
Wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr.’s inclusion on this list might be a bit odd since he isn’t a young player trying to make sense of the NFL. Instead, he’s highly respected around the league and someone his teammates look up to, and that’s precisely what makes him a building block.
It was recently suggested that Jones should request a trade but Jacksonville can’t afford to let him go. They’re currently in the process of rebuilding and while it’s important to infuse the roster with talent, it’s not feasible to start from scratch and need players like the former California Golden Bear. Keep in mind Jones isn’t more than just a locker room leader. He can play, which is one of the reasons people will listen when he has something to say while Tim Tebow is currently out of the league.
Even in a ‘down’ year, Jones managed to lead the Jags in receptions with 73, passing yards (832), and touchdowns (four). From 2017 to 2020, the veteran receiver averaged eight receiving touchdowns per season, and it wouldn’t be shocking to get close to that number in 2022 with a more experienced Trevor Lawrence at the helm.
Newly-acquired Christian Kirk will get the headlines and draw double coverages but nobody, including teams and the media, should sleep on Marvin Jones. In fact, don’t be surprised if he logs 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his NFL career.
No. 4 Jaguars player to build around – Josh Allen, OLB.
The Jaguars brought reinforcements to their front seven this offseason but Josh Allen is still their best defensive player. The former Kentucky Wildcat started his NFL career with a bang, logging 10.5 sacks as a rookie and earning a Pro Bowl designation. Alas, his early success didn’t carry into his sophomore campaign and he finished 2020 with just 2.5 sacks. In his defense, he suffered a knee injury that forced him to sit out eight games and wasn’t truly himself whenever he was on the field.
Fully healthy, Allen was a source of consistent pressure early in 2021 and was one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league at some point of the season. However, he faded down the stretch and wasn’t as productive at the end of the year. On the bright side, he finished strong, registering two sacks against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18.
The team’s brass certainly sees Allen as a building block. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. It’s true that the 2019 first-round pick needs to be more consistent but it’s hard to blame him for not playing up to his potential in the second half of the 2021 season. The Jags had to endure many pitfalls last season, and everyone’s performance was affected because of it.
Allen will have a clean slate under head coach Doug Pederson and he will truly be put in a position to succeed. The fact that the front office surrounded the pass rusher with more talent makes him a candidate not only to bounce back but to dominate in 2022.
No. 5 Jaguars player to build around – Trevor Lawrence, QB.
The Jaguars aren’t expecting Trevor Lawrence to be a franchise savior but they surely see him as an important part of the puzzle. It took them a while to get the quarterback position right but now that they got it off the list, they need to make sure he’s in a position to thrive.
Lawrence experience a steep learning curve as a rookie and made several costly mistakes. However, blaming him for the Jags’ 3-14 record would be short-sighted. After all, he didn’t have the right coaching and his supporting cast was inadequate. There didn’t seem to be a plan in place to develop him and although he didn’t suddenly stop being good, he faced plenty of challenges right off the bat.
The Jags hired head coach Doug Pederson to clean the mess his successor left and one of his most important tasks will be to squeeze every ounce of talent out of Lawrence. Fortunately, it looks like the duo is off to a good start. Pederson is helping the former Clemson Tiger polish his mechanics and how to watch tape but he’s also teaching him how to take control of the locker room and be a leader.
It looks like Pederson’s approach is working, as general manager Trent Baalke is noticing the difference between last year and now. The Jaguars did Trevor Lawrence wrong in 2021 and they cannot afford to make the same mistake ever again. They took a step in the right direction in the offseason when they made upgrades to the roster but they can’t stop now.